Posted on 05/06/2009 9:35:06 PM PDT by GodGunsGuts
Stem Cells from Blood Render Embryonic Sources Obsolete
by Brian Thomas, M.S.*
On the heels of President Barack Obama’s March 9 order to use public monies to support embryonic stem cell research,[1] another source of stem cells has become available—blood. Blood would be an ideal supplier for stem cells because it is a renewable tissue and harvesting blood components does not end life. These reengineered cells would also be patient-specific and avoid immune system difficulties, unlike embryonic sources which are derived from another person entirely.
A recent study discovered a way in which blood could generate stem cells.[2] The researchers isolated CD34+ cells, which normally mature into blood cells. They then infected the cells with viruses that carry specific reprogramming factors. This caused the cells to become pluripotent, meaning they can then develop as they divide into other kinds of cells to aid in finding better treatments and research techniques.[3]
Like most recent breakthroughs in stem cell research and treatments, this discovery came from non-embryonic sources.[4] Prior studies have demonstrated that adult stem cells can be effective in treating diseases. Now, adult stem cells from blood promise to become even more easily and repeatedly available, reducing the cost of medical procedures, enhancing the “pace of laboratory research in this field,”2 and curtailing any perceived need to use embryos for this purpose.
Once stem cells become available from the blood of the patient, there should be very little, if any, interest in embryonic stem cells as sources of replacement cells for diseased tissues. Embryos have produced no viable treatments to date, whereas non-embryonic sources have given rise to over 70 effective treatments.[5] If there is no medical necessity for the planned destruction of human embryos, why are some researchers still insistently promoting this practice?
According to standard polls, the same scientific community that is politically active in supporting embryonic research is much more atheistic than the American public.[6] Atheism does not perceive humans as unique creations who should be valued in their own right as being made in the image of God. If the desires of embryonic research proponents become reality, then they may be found in the ironic position of using money borrowed from a future generation to tinker with the bodies of those who will never grow up to join that generation.
References
1. Ford, L. Obama Orders the Destruction of Human Embryos. ICR News. Posted on icr.org March 13, 2009, accessed April 21, 2009. 2. Study Finds Blood Cells Can Be Reprogrammed to Act as Embryonic Stem Cells. American Society of Hematology press release, April 20, 2009, reporting on research published in Loh, Y.-H. et al. Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from human blood. Blood. Prepublished online on bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org March 18, 2009. 3. Thomas, B. A New Technique for Pluripotent Stem Cells. ICR News. Posted on icr.org March 16, 2009, accessed April 21, 2009. 4. Thomas, B. Better Treatments Will Stem from New Cell Lines. ICR News. Posted on icr.org August 13, 2008, accessed April 21, 2009. 5. Thomas, B. Understanding the Stem Cell Debate. ICR News. Posted on icr.org July 10, 2008, accessed April 21, 2009. 6. Guliuzza, R. 2009. Consensus Science: The Rise of a Scientific Elite. Acts & Facts. 38 (5): 4-6.
* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.
Bkmrk for later.
Life is in the Blood.
Ping!
“Once stem cells become available from the blood of the patient, there should be very little, if any, interest in embryonic stem cells as sources of replacement cells for diseased tissues.”
au contraire...
Why would a drug company be interested in a cure that would be focused on a individual patient. They are interested in mass marketing their “cure”.
Moloch is not pleased.
Funny, I was thinking something along those lines when I first read this story!
bttt
Further, would it not explain how that Adam, due to having having a vigor of recent perfection could live over 900 years?
Not the whole story by any means but interesting to think of the possible implications of such research.
Ever wonder what family reunions would be like if you lived to be 900?
The more women they convince that a baby represents an obstacle to their future, the greater their profit.
The Culture of Death will march on, consuming the future and generations for the future.
Ping!
Yeah, I really have. I could show my parents that their sacrifice and hard work in my regard was not in vain. And I’d have a lot of time to try repaying them.
Yeah. I think it about it a lot.
As kind of post script, nice article on the same subject here:
health.usnews.com/blogs/heart-to-heart/2009/03/04/why-embryonic-stem-cells-are-obsolete.html
The age of Methuselah come back. The people from that time seem to have been a lot more patient about sexual relations than we moderns are. 100 years old, one son, 300 years old, the next son....
I like your pic of Margaret Sanger.
The fact is that the ghouls of Planned Barrenhood want public funding for murdered baby stem cell research because it means million$ for them.
That’s the bottom line and our Ghoul in Chief wants it too.
The Bama still demand the infants..
bump
Blood lines ping....
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